Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

We have 2 yo twins and got this to keep them entertained. They (and we) have watched it pretty well every other day for the last 6 months, and have never got tired of it.Each time I watch it I pick something else up. Strongly recommended.Also, it's _very_ PG. We got Mulan for them, but it frightened them, but this was perfect.Perfect for parents of younger children, and older children.It's a perfect Muppets movie. It has everyone in it. Even Kermits nephew, Robin!! Uncle Deadly, Coco the bear. Pepe the Prawn.Love it. Stringly recommend.

I grew up watching "Muppet Show" re-runs and various Muppet movies, and while I enjoyed THE MUPPETS (2011) immensely, its sequel MUPPETS MOST WANTED (2014) feels a little closer to that classic Muppet magic.Although very much a loving tribute to "The Muppet Show", THE MUPPETS had Kermit and the gang in almost supporting roles to Jason Segel, Amy Adams, and newbie Walter. The movie was about getting the band back together, so to speak, and had a very meta sensibility about the Muppets' current pop culture relevance, which was a neat way to introduce the gang to a new generation as Disney sought to re-establish the property in feature films. This sequel puts the Muppets front and center again, in a wacky adventure reminiscent of their films from thirty years ago, complete with music and celebrity cameos galore.Picking up right where THE MUPPETS left off, MUPPETS MOST WANTED sees Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy and co. take their Muppet Show act on a world tour with manager Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais). Constantine, the world's most dangerous frog, escapes from a Russian prison and takes Kermit's place with the Muppets while Kermit is mistakenly incarcerated in Siberia. Using the tour as a front, Constantine and Dominic rob museums across Europe, ultimately seeking to steal the Crown Jewels of England.Ricky Gervais, in the role of antagonist, seems born to play opposite the Muppets and it's always a treat to see Tina Fey, who runs the Siberian gulag. Ty Burrell of "Modern Family" plays a French Interpol agent who teams with Sam the Eagle of the C.I.A. to track down the museum burglars. The film is chock full of surprise cameos from other celebrities, which I won't spoil. I will say that it's nice to see that celebrities whose cameos were cut out of the previous film have been given the chance to appear on-screen in this one (Ricky Gervais, Danny Trejo, Rob Corddry).Director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller return from the previous film, along with the character of Walter, who is integrated into the Muppet family but still plays a key role in the plot. The songs, once again by Bret McKenzie (one-half of New Zealand folk parody duo Flight of the Conchords), are peppy and a lot of fun, though they haven't gotten the award recognition of the first film's Oscar-winning "Man or Muppet"."We're Doing a Sequel", the opening number, is very Muppet-y, calling to mind "Hey a Movie!" from THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER (1981). "I'm Number One" is a toe-tapping duet between Constantine and Gervais. "The Big House" is Tina Fey's big number, backed by a chorus of doo-wopping prisoners. Constantine's ridiculous disco love song "I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)" has a definite Flight of the Conchords flavor. "Interrogation Song" is a bouncing talk-sung number featuring Ty Burrell, Sam the Eagle, and various Muppets. "Something So Right" starts as a ballad for Miss Piggy, but grows into a veritable anthem, with a grooving interlude. And the movie closes with a variation of the classic "Together Again" from THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (1984).(It's interesting that the characters in the film seem to think the movie is titled "The Muppets... Again", which apparently was the original working title. "Muppets Most Wanted" conveys more about the film plot-wise, but "The Muppets... Again" would've fit the bookending songs more closely.)MUPPETS MOST WANTED is a ton of fun for all ages. The film shows respect for the Muppet past, with nods to "The Muppet Show" and the earlier movies, while finding a winning formula to showcase what's best about the Muppets to modern moviegoers. Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Rowlf the Dog, Bunsen & Beaker, Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, Scooter, Sam Eagle, Statler & Waldorf, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Sweetums, Pepe the Prawn, Rizzo the Rat, Beauregard, Uncle Deadly, Bobo, the Muppet Newsman, and the Swedish Chef are all back and in fine form. The songs are catchy and upbeat. The human co-stars are terrific. It's a good time all-round.

After watching "Muppets Christmas Carol" and enjoying it a lot, I was just in the mood for more of the muppets. fortunately this was starting on another TV channel so I eagerly started to watch it, in a great frame of mind.Plot In A Paragraph: Kermit the Frog and his friends are approached by Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) to go on a world tour. Unknown to them, this is all part of an evil plan of Constantine, the world's most evil frog, to become the greatest thief of all time. After making sure that Kermit is jailed as himself, Constantine impersonates him to use the Muppets' tour as cover for his scheme. While Sam the Eagle and Inspector Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) investigate, Kermit desperately attempts to escape.Unfortunately it was not of the same quality of "Muppets Christmas Carol" and I found myself bored a great deal of the time. Despite an endless amount of cameos Salma Hayek, Celine Dion, Danny Treo, Tony Bennett, Sean Combs, Lady Gaga, Zach Galifianikis, Chloe Grace Moretz, Frank Langella, Ray Liotta James McCovoy and Christopher Waltz, Debby Ryan and Loki himself Tom Hiddleston.Outside of the cameos the only adult entertainer to amuse me and keep me amused every time he was on screen, was Modern Family's Ty Burrell.

Version I saw: UK cinema release Actors: 6/10 Plot/script: 6/10 Photography/visual style: 6/10 Music/score: 7/10 Overall: 6/10 The record of Muppet movies is a highly variable one. Some of them, such as the Muppet Movie and The Muppet Christmas Carol, are rightly considered classics of family entertainment, while others fall flat.Muppets Most Wanted in particular comes off the back of a very strong competitor, 2011's comeback hit The Muppets. Most of the behind-camera team are the same, including the director, the writer and the Oscar-winning composer of the songs, Bret McKenzie. In fact, there is actually a strong Flight of the Conchords connection running through the film.In front of the camera, the Muppets are of course the same, but the human cast have been completely turned around. Muppet productions have always been big on celebrities in large and small roles. Why do they seem to punch above their weight so consistently? I suppose it's just that stars feel the same affection for these characters as we do. Muppets Most Wanted really takes it to the limit though, with so many recognizable names and faces that some get more time in the end credits than within the film.There are several good songs in there too. Songs haven't always been part of the Muppet formula, but when they have, they usually go down well. I have a lot of time for McKenzie, and it seems he hasn't lost his touch. The comedy is good too: I am always amazed at their ability to deliver a bad joke, tell you it's a bad joke, and make it funnier than a good joke.So why didn't I enjoy it more? The plot is not great, but Muppet plots are generally not up to much, generally existing as little more than a hook to hang those gags and celebrity cameos on, with a bit of lesson-learning and heart-warming reconciliation at the end.I think, when it comes down to it, MMW's failure is that it could not live up to it's predecessor. The Muppets was funnier, had better songs... and above all, had real heart. The relationship between Gary (Jason Segel), Mary (Amy Adams) and Walter (Peter Linz) had real life and affection to it, but without the other two, Walter just isn't that interesting a character.The film is really not bad at all, and way better than its critics would have you believe, but there is really not much I can say about it that can't be followed by "but The Muppets was better". It doesn't just sound like damning with faint praise, it is the very textbook definition of damning with faint praise.For my full review, see my independent film review blog on Blogger, Cinema Inferno: http://cinemainferno-blog.blogspot.co.uk